If You Would Only Listen to Me! - Psalm 81

Psalm 81
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
    Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
    to follow their own devices.
13 “If my people would only listen to me,
    if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue their enemies
    and turn my hand against their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,
    and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
    with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

 Every parent has experienced the frustration of when their kids do not listen to them.  Though they know the best possible course for their children, the kids choose to go their own way for various reasaons.  Part of it is they are learning to make decisions and hopefully see the consequences.  This is part of the learning curve that every child and young person must go through.  The hope is that they will learn from their mistakes and learn to make better decisions.

 The people of Israel were not unlike children.  God had delivered them from the bondage of the Egyptians, and provided for them miraculously as they wandered in the wildnerness. Yet, Israel still chose to go its own way. In their minds, they knew better.  In this case they trusted in other gods. So the passage says, "God gave them over to their stubborn hearts!"  It's almost as if God is saying, "If you want to go it alone, fine with me.  I don't force anyone to follow me". God gave them over to the gods they wanted to trust in.  And they saw the bad results.

 God deals with us the same today.  When we want to go our way and worship the gods of this world, "power, lust, greed, and self absorption", God says okay have it your way.  But you will see where those gods leave you. He says, "Some day I hope you will learn that I had the best for you, but you chose something else."  Verse 16 says,

  "16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
    with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

 I'm sure we all have areas in our lives where we have trusted in other gods, and we still struggle with giving God these areas over to God every day.  This is the sinful nature tempting us to go back to worshipping something other than God. The root of the sinful nature is when we say and act on the notion, "I want when I want when I want it." They key point is that God wants to give us the best, as we worship him alone.

 As you live out your day remember God really does want the best for you, but he also wants you to look to Him to provide you with it.




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